At 02:26 PM 9/4/98 -0500, john zimmer wrote:>I agree that Christians discount the operation of God's creativity>through his creation (if that makes sense). I would say that acknowledging>this operation is the key to complementarity. By looking at the >exception - the gap - if you will, one is basically claiming that>reality - or whatever you call what we observe and participate in - >appears incomplete and that a certain element (the divine) is necesary >to complete it. But I think that God is way more sophisticated than>we imagine. The "two books" are textually complete.>>The appearance of or desire for incompleteness is an illusion >generated by choosing one "book" over the other. We cannot choose one>or the other. We participate in both. >>Ray>>>At 09:21 AM 9/4/98 -0400, you wrote:>>Once again I have plowed through a series of postings on the ASA listserve.>>>>To be candid, it was discouraging.>>>>Why? I'll try a brief explanation.>>>>As a Christan I beleive the entire universe to be a Creation, that is,>>something that has been given its 'being' by the Creator-God of whom the>>Scriptures attest. The 'being' of the Creation consists not only in having>>existence and having various properties, but also in having a rich>>diversity of capabilities for action. Whatever atoms, or molecules, or>>cells, or organisms are capable of doing is, in this Christian>>'creationist' perspective, to be celebrated as a gift from God--a symbol of>>God's incomprehensible creativity (in first conceptualizing these>>remarkable gifts) and unlimited generosity (in the giving of all of these>>capabilities). >>>>Against this theological background, I am both puzzled and discouraged by>>the prevalence of anti-evolutionary arguments in this list of the following>>genre:>>>>Evolution could not have occurred because atoms do not have the>>capabilities to accomplish X, or because molecules do not have the>>capabilities to do Y, or cells do not have the capabilities to do Z. >>>>Why are Christians inclined to hold such a low view of the Creation's gifts>>for accomplishing the Creator's intentions for the formational history of>>the Creation? Was the Creator unableor unwilling to so gift it? Did He lack>>the creativity to conceptualize the requisite creaturely capabilities? Was>>He able to do so, but not sufficiently generous? Did he purposely withhold>>a few key gifts so that the Creation would not have the requisite>>capabilities to actualize certain novel forms of life in the course of its>>formational history?>>>>Does anyone think about the theological implications of this concept of the>>character of the Creation's capabilities? Why would Christians expect the>>Creation to have vacancies in its menu of formational capabilities?>>>>Howard van Till>>>>>>